60 Ideas To Recycle Vintage Sewing Machines

Many of us have a vintage or even antique sewing machine in their home that is dusty and neglected. Maybe it’s just taking up space, and no one in your family wants to learn to sew. Here are 60 ideas To Recycle Vintage Sewing Machines into various types of home decor accessories. We hope that some of these ideas will inspire you to give it a try! This post was inspired by the post “60 idées pour recycler vos vieilles machines à coudre” from Home & Garden blog!

However, before you start dismantling and throwing away parts, be aware of the heritage and the artistry of these machines. There are several groups on the ‘net dedicated to the preservation and restoration of vintage and antique machines. You could donate the “head unit” (the sewing machine itself) to these groups for salvage parts to keep other machines going. Many of these groups have machines that exceed 100 years old and are still in use! They can be restored and are a beautiful thing to teach your children to use!

Vintage Sewing Machines recycled into dining tables:

Vintage Sewing Machines1
Vintage Sewing Machines2
Vintage Sewing Machines3
How to Select, Service, Repair & Maintain your Vintage Sewing Machine
  • McCaffery, Connie (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 120 Pages - 01/11/2015 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)

Or maybe a kitchen table?

Vintage Sewing Machines4
Vintage Sewing Machines5
Sale
Old Sewing Machines (Shire Library)
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Head, Carol (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)

What about an elegant coffee table? Vintage Sewing Machines have gorgeous leg irons and are sturdy, as well as quite elegant.

Vintage Sewing Machines6
Vintage Sewing Machines7
The Encyclopedia of Early American & Antique Sewing Machines: Identification and Values
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Hardcover Book
  • Bays, Carter (Author)

You could also transform your old sewing machine into an original bedside table.

Vintage Sewing Machines8

No products found.

Another superb idea is to reuse a sewing machine into a kitchen island!

Vintage Sewing Machines9
Vintage Sewing Machines10
Vintage Sewing Machines11
Vintage Sewing Machines12
Vintage Sewing Machines13

You could also transform your vintage sewing machine into a one-of-a-kind Desk!

Vintage Sewing Machines14
Vintage Sewing Machines15
Vintage Sewing Machines16
Vintage Sewing Machines17
Vintage Sewing Machines18
Vintage Sewing Machines18
Vintage Sewing Machines19
Oldtimer Sewing Machines
  • Hardcover Book
  • Landgraf, Otto (Author)
  • 192 Pages - 03/03/1989 (Publication Date) - Weppert GmbH & Co, KG (Publisher)

Or, reused into shabby chic consoles, an old sewing machine is perfect for that purpose!

Vintage Sewing Machines20
Vintage Sewing Machines21
Vintage Sewing Machines22
Vintage Sewing Machines23
Vintage Sewing Machines24
Vintage Sewing Machines25
Vintage Sewing Machines26
Vintage Sewing Machines27
Vintage Sewing Machines28
Vintage Sewing Machines29
Vintage Sewing Machines30
Vintage Sewing Machines31
Vintage Sewing Machines32

Other great ideas are to use your unused vintage sewing machine as vanity units!

Vintage Sewing Machines33
Vintage Sewing Machines34
Vintage Sewing Machines35
Vintage Sewing Machines36
Vintage Sewing Machines37
Vintage Sewing Machines38
Vintage Sewing Machines39

You can also build a beautiful dressing table out of a reclaimed sewing machine.

Vintage Sewing Machines40

And for your receptions, sewing machines can be upcycled as buffets!

Vintage Sewing Machines41
Vintage Sewing Machines42

Garden tables are also an excellent way to recycle your sewing machine!

Vintage Sewing Machines43
Vintage Sewing Machines44
Vintage Sewing Machines45
Vintage Sewing Machines46
Vintage Sewing Machines47
Vintage Sewing Machines48
Vintage Sewing Machines49
Vintage Sewing Machines50
Vintage Sewing Machines51
Vintage Sewing Machines52
Vintage Sewing Machines53
Vintage Sewing Machines54
Vintage Sewing Machines55

What about making an original garden table out of your sewing machine?

Vintage Sewing Machines56

And to finish, here are some ideas of planters and plant stands made from repurposed sewing machines.

Vintage Sewing Machines57
Vintage Sewing Machines58
Vintage Sewing Machines59

Now it’s your turn to transform the old sewing machine sitting in your attic into beautiful furniture for your home or your garden! Send us some pictures of your finished project, and we will publish them here! ;)

5 5 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
48 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Juanita Castro
Juanita Castro

Reciclar, reciclar, reciclar esa palabra en verdad es muy apropiada. Esta pagina tiene ideas supe buenas.

Susana Soto

Wuauuuu!!!! Almita Alma Garcia Sotelo, cosas hermosas, me fascinan, las máquinas!!!!! Gracias, quiero ver todo!!!!

Alicia Irigoyen de Luna

mira ma pon la foto de tu mesa Alicia Pons

Lisa Jones

LUV them…and i keep buying them!

Sharon Stein Wilder

Gina Garner Williams find me some old sewing machines!

Maria Rester Shiyou

I use my great-grandmother’s treadle machine as a bedside table. The machine is still in it and still workable. I have the table folded out for additional space. A piece of foam core covers the opening over the machine and I used a scrapped piece of an old quilt my mother in law made over it. As you can see, it holds many books! Along with a basket holding more books, framed photo, lamp, cell phone. On the treadle there is a ceramic bowl holding magazines. And there are 5 drawers to store other things. I love this old thing!

Jean C Keith

Mine looks like that Maria! It was my Mother’s & she made our clothes on it as we grew up!! Will never forget!!

Bonnie Banks

I see some wonderful ideas! Now to find an old base!

Joanne Qiao An

la fusion de la créativité , j aime!

Bibi Maata

My new bathroom…

Norma Bryson
Norma Bryson
Reply to  Bibi Maata

I like to recycle old sewing machines and sell them on line. They are getting harder to find. I find them mostly at auctions and yard sales. I leave the bass all intact so when you sit at it you can rest your feet and treadle while you work. I do take the small center piece off and replace it with a new top that I faux marble. Some times I paint them white and other times I just put a little patina on the black iron.

betty j burkhart
betty j burkhart
Reply to  Norma Bryson

where do you sell them online? is there a website? i would love to see some. i need a small table for breakfast coffee for two…..thank you

Marize Maia Escher

Minha mãe tinha uma, da primeira SINGER vendida no Brasil e a usou décadas…

Cindy
Cindy

I was looking to for ideas to recycle my sewing MACHINE not the cabinet and legs, which 90 % of the photos were. I saw 2 maybe 3 that had a sewing machine as part of the recycle.
Perhaps change the title as it is misleading.

Laura
Laura
Reply to  Cindy

Agreed, this list is really about reusing sewing machine treadles, not the machines themselves.

Ellen
Ellen

I want Singer base to restore machine back to pedal use. Mine was “upgraded” before 20s. Where can I find base?

wisepati
wisepati
Reply to  Ellen

I found many on Craigslist. Or at garage or yard sales. These is also a group of people (see treadleon.net) that actually use these machines and someones one of them will have a working base to sell. There are many who treasure these machines and use them to sew on.

Bill Smith
Bill Smith

These ideas are incredible. You just inspired me.

Marie Ui Dholain
Marie Ui Dholain
Reply to  Bill Smith

I have a an old treadle sewing machine and I use it as the television table. The woman that used it has passed. She had to make clothes for her family through the war. If that machine could talk………

Topalian
Topalian

Hello, those pictures are wonderful
I have been inspired by one of Them for one of my watercolo rs about sewing, it is here:

Best regards

wisepati
wisepati

Some of these ideas are nifty, but so sad to see the bases of wonderful old sewing machines like Pfaff that people would love to have. And a sewing machine in a bathroom? That will rust soon and that machine (a Pfaff) is highly sought after by people who use these to sew. Wonder if these pieces will be just a fad and end up in the recycle bin anyway. And what happened to all the wonderful sewing machines? I did have a base that was left because the cabinet was destroyed and the machine was converted to a hand… Read more »

JJ
JJ

I have my grandmothers singer, three drawers ea side it is about 115 yrs old and in very good shape and it works good. Some of these are great ideas and look very nice, I love and do paint furniture but could never paint my grandmothers sewing machine, it is beautiful just the way it is.

Lisa W. Degregorio
Lisa W. Degregorio

Great idea. We’ll save a lot of money.

Stacey Miller

Although Singer is not the first sewing machine being developed, it became a very popular brand to many sewers, and even for collectors. Some collectors said that it was such a fun experience for them to collect most of the Singer vintage sewing machines because they are plenty and they are still available and usable.

HeatherStiletto
Reply to  Stacey Miller

Hi wendy, unfortunately this is the wrong forum to be posting “for sale” listings. However, if you’d like, send in a “contact us” and ask for ME. I restore vintage and antique machines and may be able to help you a bit. :D Thanks!Heather Stiletto

Thelma Emerson
Thelma Emerson

Gorgeous ideas! I couldn’t ask for a better idea! There are two old sewing machines at my basement and both not working. I’ve been thinking to turn them into something more useful and your post gave me the answer right on time. I’m definitely recycling the sewing machines into two beautiful tables. Thank you for the inspiration!

leine
leine

thank you for the great article. I do not think you have the talent to be the same. will regularly visit your site

Greg Coley
Greg Coley

I agree that there are some machines that should not be taken apart. I would never dismantle my Grandmothers/Great Grandmothers Singer. It was converted to electricity long before my time and treadle was removed so I found a nice base with a treadle to put back on my orig. base but, I collect old machines because the cabinets and machines themselves are amazing. sometimes I find them and the Cabinets have been ruined and I love to use them for tables. I think its a great way to preserve the past.

Elizabeth Smith
Elizabeth Smith

Thank you – I am happy to say that I do follow several of the pages you suggest – I look forward to checking out the others.

Jan
Jan

I put a 2’X4′ butcher block on mine in 1976 and used as a kitchen table. Still have it and still use on my back porch. Love it!

Ron
Ron

There’s only 1 idea with 60 variations of it…… Put a table-top on the legs.
Some of them look nice.

denise paz
denise paz
Reply to  Ron

You’re right

Pillows For Life
Pillows For Life

Great idea! Nice pics. I have a blog on pillow. You can visit my blog here:

Lavonne
Lavonne

I am highly disappointed in this post! I scrolled through all three pages and not one idea actually recycled the MACHINE. All these ideas are for reusing the cabinet or stand.

HeatherStiletto
Reply to  Lavonne

Hi Lavonne – you won’t see a LOT of things to reuse the machine, unless you gut the machine and turn it into a yard toy (such as a decorative tractor), or a lamp…. or ….cutting it in half for bookends. The machines from these tables are usually still restorable and functional. I have sewing machines back to the late 1800s that are fully functional and sew on two that are almost 100 years old routinely. If they’re not so rusted that they look like brown lace, then they can be used. If you want to find ways to use… Read more »

Maggie Acampora
Maggie Acampora

Hi Heather I have been reading the responses from this site as I have 2 old Singer sewing machines. The cabinets and bases are only wood. I am inquiring if anyone would like the machines for parts etc. I have no use for them and don’t want to just discard them. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you

Sharon
Sharon

I used mine in a similar way. I put a round glass top on the base to make a round table, but what makes mine different is I had the initials of the family member who owned the sewing machine etched in the glass. It is lovely and it gets lots of compliments and it is a great source of conversation.

Tony Farnes
Tony Farnes

Excellent site for tables but I want to utilize the treadle to power ‘something’ which would be secured on a wooden top. My mind is blank at present so I hope someone will steer me in the right direction.

HeatherStiletto
Reply to  Tony Farnes

That would really just be a matter of the right length belt and then setting up the correct pulley system on whatever you’re powering to turn the speed you need. Before you upcycle a treadle, be sure it’s not a rare one. There are some models out there where less than a few hundred were EVER made, and separating the base from the head unit means the likelihood of reuniting either part with a corresponding piece is very unlikely, and then a piece of history is GONE. There are many treadles that were made by the millions, or the sewing… Read more »

Sloane. Woods
Sloane. Woods

That’s it?? Only tables. Come on, get creative a trellis, pot hanger, air plant nest.
60 table ………wow!

BirdLady

You had me at Sewing Machines but all I see is how to turn the sewing machine treadle into a table. This article is so misleading.

Carolynne
Carolynne

I have five different brands of sewing machine s and they are both inside and out. I removed the sewing machines and the wooden cabinets and put glass tops on all of them…the better to see the beautiful ironwork

Janmay
Janmay

Yes good ideas but now I don’t regret to conserve the sewing machine functional for making masks to fignt CoVID 19. It’s very decorative and useful. Thank you

Gwen
Gwen

I’m somewhat disappointed, these are all recycled cabinets or legs to cabinets, not the machine itself. Good ideas, just not what I was looking for.

Christine Coxon
Christine Coxon

I am looking for a way to reuse the machine, not the table.

Chula
Chula

I thought there were going to be ideas on upcycling a sewing machine… not the table! :(

Scroll to Top